Ronald Howard Riley

Sergeant
C TRP, 3RD SQD, 5TH CAV RGT, 9 INF DIV
Army of the United States
27 May 1948 - 18 April 1969
Sanger, California
Panel 26W Line 003

9 INF DIV

5TH CAV RGT
Armor

Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for Ronald Howard Riley

9 May 2001

Riley, I'll never forget you, man. You left without us saying goodbye, although you really had no choice in the matter. You weren't much of a fighter; more like a peaceful man caught up in something quite different than yourself. But I know that you were going to fight back, and you would have done your job had you been given the chance.

I love you and miss all of you brothers who lost their own personal wars that night. So, goodbye Buddyo, say hi to the others for me.

Peace,
Doug
E-Mail may be forwarded via the
goofygimp@yahoo.com

A Note from The Virtual Wall

At about 1300, 18 Apr 1969, C Troop, 3/5 Cav, and C Company, 1/9 Marines, departed Fire Support Base C-2 to conduct a search and destroy mission north of the Cam Lo Valley. At 1730 the mounted force reached Nui Tot Mon, where the Marines dismounted and moved westward up the Cam Hung Valley. At dusk the Marines set up a night defensive position on high ground above the Cam Hung while Charlie 3/5 Cav established their NDP in the Cam Lo Valley.

At about 2030 (8:30 PM) C/3/5 Cavalry's night defensive position was attacked by a reinforced company of North Vietnamese Army troops. The attack began with heavy mortar fire which covered the approach of "sappers" - essentially satchel-charge troops on a one-way mission. In violent hand-to-hand combat, the NVA was discouraged - but Charlie Troop lost several armored vehicles and - much more importantly - twelve men:

An additional 23 men were wounded.

The after action report is available on the Black Knight web site.



The point-of-contact for this memorial is
his comrade-in-arms,
Doug Hallas
goofygimp@yahoo.com
9 May 2001



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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Last updated 03/15/2005